One of the hardest things about teaching a play is that drama is meant to be experienced on a stage, not read from a book. But even when students watch a play it is sometimes difficult for them to quickly figure out who is who and what is going on. The "before the play" section of this website is designed to help "pre-load" students with information on the play before they see it.
To use this section, have students browse through the sections on the historical background of Salem, major characters, the playwright, and the red scare of the 1950s. Many of these pages give basic information and links to more in-depth sources on the topic. These pages are designed with graphics, links and videos to keep student attention. You may want to assign a section to individual students or groups and have them present their findings to the class.
All the world's a stage
While the other sections in "before the play" talk about The Crucible exclusively, the "All the world's a stage" section is devoted to how a play is staged and how this effects the meaning of the play. These pages would also be a good "jumping-off" point for student research.
Finally, the "actors" section discusses improvisational acting and improv games. Many of these games can be found at the improv encyclopediaand would make a fun classroom activity that focues on how actors bring meaning to a written play.
Before-the-play activities
One of the hardest things about teaching a play is that drama is meant to be experienced on a stage, not read from a book. But even when students watch a play it is sometimes difficult for them to quickly figure out who is who and what is going on. The "before the play" section of this website is designed to help "pre-load" students with information on the play before they see it.To use this section, have students browse through the sections on the historical background of Salem, major characters, the playwright, and the red scare of the 1950s. Many of these pages give basic information and links to more in-depth sources on the topic. These pages are designed with graphics, links and videos to keep student attention. You may want to assign a section to individual students or groups and have them present their findings to the class.
All the world's a stage
While the other sections in "before the play" talk about The Crucible exclusively, the "All the world's a stage" section is devoted to how a play is staged and how this effects the meaning of the play. These pages would also be a good "jumping-off" point for student research.Finally, the "actors" section discusses improvisational acting and improv games. Many of these games can be found at the improv encyclopediaand would make a fun classroom activity that focues on how actors bring meaning to a written play.
back to "before the play"